A Desoutter 4.0 Solution- CONNECT will boost flexibility, up-time, and productivity on an unprecedented scale.

Desoutter Industrial Tools, supplier of electric and pneumatic industrial tool solutions, is unveiling their new Industrial Smart Hub, CONNECT. CONNECT, a transformational technology, is a platform which manages all items, actions, and information related to assembly line activities and accelerates the Smart Factory transformation.

Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Industry 4.0 fosters the smart factory by connecting machines, devices and sensors so they can communicate with each other, offering informational transparency, and allowing for decentralized decisions.

CONNECT offers a single point of connection for communications between the factory network and up to 20 cordless tools on the assembly line, reducing the cost of ownership and simplifying the ease of use for installations and line rebalancing. CONNECT can manage the entire eco-system of one cordless tool, including all items, actions, and information related to it, CONNECT also features a high degree of traceability and data security. The CONNECT is equipped to offer reliable data acquisition and processing on a secure and stable platform. Information is collected and stored in real-time, but is easily and securely accessible via a web browser, offering total data traceability. Users can generate reports with the click of a button.

CONNECT is available in two models: CONNECT-W which embeds a wireless access point and can activate up to 10 Tightening Units, meaning that up to 10 cordless tools can be connected and used, and CONNECT-X which requires an external wireless access point and can activate up to 20 Tightening Units, meaning that up to 20 cordless tools can be connected and used.

Each Desoutter solution is assigned a Tightening Unit on the CONNECT platform, which acts as its eco-system and contains all items, actions, and information related to it. Each solution can therefore be customized, programmed, integrated, or reassigned without the need to reconfigure the whole system. Equally, a new cordless tool can be added whenever desired without disrupting the other tools already running on the line. Each CONNECT hub provides a single point of connection for communication between the factory network and up to 20 tools. It takes 10 seconds to pair a tool to the CONNECT using RFID technology, which makes line rebalancing incredibly easy.

“Using the Industrial Smart Hub approach, your assembly line will be free of cables, your workstations will have more space available, and by having all the CONNECT units in the same room, there will be no need to walk from station to station to check each unit, thereby boosting productivity,” stated Russ Hughes, Product Marketing Manager, North America at Desoutter Industrial Tools. Hughes added, “CONNECT will revolutionize the way of working since it enables multi-tool management with more connectivity and flexibility than anything we’ve seen before”.

CONNECT is a scalable solutions which allows for upgrades to workstations as needed. Application-based customization is a key feature of the new smart hub, offering a scalable and flexible solution making CONNECT a ‘future-proof’ solution.

CONNECT is also fully customizable as features can be simply activated. Features can be moved from one Tightening Unit to another in response to changing production requirements. The CONNECT hub itself also features a removable integrated memory that allows data and settings from one CONEECT to be transferred to another quickly. This level of agility enables customer to reconfigure their assembly lines within minutes rather than hours.

Another key feature of CONNECT is its compact size. With a volume of only one gallon, it is easy to install anywhere in the plant: at the workstation, at the end of the production line, on the process manager’s desk, or even in the server room. This not only frees up production pace, it also offers the opportunity for improved efficiency.

About Desoutter Industrial Tools:
Founded in 1914 and headquartered in France, Desoutter Industrial Tools is a global leader in electric and pneumatic assembly tools serving a wide range of assembly and manufacturing operations, including Aerospace, Automotive, Light and Heavy Vehicles, Off-Road, General Industry. Desoutter offers a comprehensive range of Solutions (tools, service and projects) to meet the specific demands of local and global customers in over 170 countries. The company designs, develops and delivers innovative quality industrial tool solutions, including air and electric Screwdrivers, Advanced Assembly Tools, Advance Drilling Units, Air motors and Torque Measurement Systems.